Artwork Page for Mummy Bundle "Mask"

Details / Information for Mummy Bundle "Mask"

Mummy Bundle "Mask"

200–1 BCE

Peru, South Coast, Ica Valley, Ocucaje site, Paracas style

Medium
cotton and pigment, plain weave
Measurements
Overall: 66 x 20.9 x 3.8 cm (26 x 8 1/4 x 1 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
The Norweb Collection 1940.516
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
232 Andean
Print
?

Did You Know?

These masks fall into two categories, those with only a face and those with a full-bodied figure.

Description

The Paracas people buried their dead in pear-shaped mummy bundles, created by carefully wrapping the seated human body in layers of garments and other textiles. Sometimes a painted cloth was placed on the outer layer at the top of the bundle, as though it served as the bundle’s face, head, or “mask.” Some cloths were painted with masklike faces, although others—such as this example—feature complete figures, which may be mythological beings with supernatural appendages.

Mummy Bundle "Mask"

200–1 BCE

Peru, South Coast, Ica Valley, Ocucaje site, Paracas style

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

    Contact Us

    The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

    To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

    All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.